Coffin-fastener.



more practical as construction and operation will pNrTnn sTaTnls PAiIENT @FFTCE.

COFFlN-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed June 30,1905. Serial No. 267,750.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK P. BRINING and JOHN STAoKHoUsE, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in CoflinFasteners, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in coffin-fasteners, and is in tended as an improvement upon a patent granted to us March 28, 1905, No. 786,095; and the object of this present invention is to improve upon this particular coffin-fastener as regards details, so as to make the same to construction and operation and to simplify the same so as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in. the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the

now be described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the cover and body of a coffin with our improved lock applied thereto; Fig. 2, a bottom plan view of the lock; Fig. 3, a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the keeper.

A represents the cover of the casket or coffin, and B is the body thereof.

C is a plate secured to the under side of the cover, and from this plate depends the lockcasing D. This lock-casing may be formed integral with the plate C or may, as shown in the drawings, be in the form of a stamping bent up to form the casing and riveted or otherwise secured to the plate C.

E is the bolt of the lock adapted to slide parallel with the plate C within the casing, and the nose of the bolt is beveled upon its lower side, and the upper side of the nose, which normally protrudes from the casing D, is formed with a series of spaces or shoulders F. The bolt E is slotted inward from the rear, as indicated at E, and in this cut-away portion is adapted to lie a coil-spring G, the

other end of the spring abutting against the rear of the casing, so as to normally force the bolt outward.

It is desirable that the bolt E be comparatively thin, and in order to provide a spring of suflicient strength to force the bolt outward positively each time the sides of the lock-casing D are curved or bulged outward upon each side, as indicated at D, and this curved portion extends longitudinally of the casing in alinement with the spring G, and the spring G is larger in diameter than the thickness of the bolt E, and therefore lies within this bulged-out portion, and thus is guided in its movements, and it will be seen that this curved-out portion will answer two purposes-one of holding the spring in its place and the other of allowing for a larger and stronger spring to be used without increasing the width of the bolt.

H is a lever extending laterally across the casing D and lying fiat against the under side of the plate C, one end of the lever H being turned upward, as indicated at H, and this turned-up portion fits within an opening C, formed through the plate C, and serves as a pivot for the lever. A similar opening C is formed in the plate C upon the opposite side, so that the lever can be reversed for rights and lofts, said lever extending through a suitable cut-away portion formed in the sides of the casing of sufficient length to allow for the movement of the lever, and also lies within. a notch E formed in the upper edge of the bolt E. The other end of the lever extends a distance beyond the plate C and has a fingerpiece H3 extending downward therefrom to operate the lever. Thus it will be seen that when the lever is moved rearwardly the bolt will be retracted against the tension of the spring. The plate C is designed to be secured to the under side of the cover, and where thick upholstering material is used this material might project below the lower surface of the plate C, and asthe lever H'lies flat against the lower surface of the plate if it extended outward in a straight line the up holstering material might press against the same so as to interfere with the proper work ing of the lever. In order to avoid this, that portion of the lever H extending beyond the plate C is bent downward so as to be a considerable distance below the level of the plate, so that no matter how thick the upholstering material might be it would not interfere with the operation of the lever.

0 represents openings formed through the plate C for the screws which secure the plate to the cover. If the lever H was made straight, it would pass directly over these screw-holes, so that the screws could not be inserted without removing the lever. In order to avoid this, the lever H is curved upon each side to conform to the outlines of the screw-heads, as shown at H so that the screws can be inserted or withdrawn with the lever in position.

Kis the keeper of the lock, which is screwed or otherwise secured in the upper edge of the body, and this keeper consists of a plate having an opening K, formed through the same through which the lock-casing D may pass. A cavity B is formed in the wood of the body underneath the keeper to receive the lockcasing. Thus it will be seen that by pressing the lock-casing downward through the opening K of the keeper K the bolt E will be forced backward on account of the inclined surface E striking the keeper but as soon as the lock-casing has been pressed down far enough so that the nose of the bolt is underneath the keeper said bolt will be shot forward by the spring, so that one or the other of the shoulders F will engage the under side of the keeper, and the shoulder which engages the keeper depends upon the distance the casing D can be forced downward through the keeper. When the locks are designed to be used only at one end of the coflin, the other end is fastened by hook-shaped retainers L, secured to the cover and extending down and hooking through openings formed in the retainer-plates M, secured to the body. Of course it will be understood that any form of nose may be formed upon the bolt and the same maybe provided with only one shoulder or any number of shoulders, or the nose of the bolt may be in any shape to engage the keeper.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and useful is- 1. In a lock for coflins or caskets, a lockcasing secured to and depending from the cover, a keeper secured to the top edge of the body and provided-with an opening formed therethrough large enough to allow for the passage of the lock-casing, a horizontallysliding plate arranged within the casing, the nose of which is adapted to normally protrude from the casing and engage the under side of the keeper, a coil-spring interposed between the rear of the bolt and the rear end of the casing tending to force the bolt outward, said spring being larger in diameter than the width of the bolt, the sides of the casing being curved outward concentric with the spring to accommodate the increased diameter of said spring, and means for retracting the bolt from the exterior of the coffin, as specified.

2. In a lock for coffins or caskets, a plate secured to the under side of the cover, a lock casing secured thereto and depending therefrom, a keeper secured to the upper edge of the body, said keeper provided with an opening formed therethrough large enough to allow for the passage of the lock-casing, alongitudinally-sliding bolt arranged within the lock-casing, the nose of the bolt normally protruding forward from the casing so as to engage the under side of the keeper, the bolt being slotted from the rearward end inward, a coil-spring lying within said cut-away portion and interposed between the bolt and the rear of the casing, said spring being larger in diameter than the thickness of the bolt, the sides of the casing being curved outward to accommodate the spring and guide the same, the nose of the bolt being beveled from its outer forward end inward and downward so that the same may be retracted automatically when pressed downward through the keeper, a lever lying fiat against the under side of the lock-plate and pivoted to said lockplate upon one end, extending .through the casing and fitting within a notch formed in the upper edge of the bolt, the other end of the lever upon the opposite side of the lockcasing extending beyond the plate and being provided with a finger-piece at its outer end, that portion of the lever extending beyond the plate being bent downward to a lower level than the plate, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto aflixed our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK P. BRINING. JOHN STACKHOUSE. Witnesses:

MARY E. HAMER, L. W. MoRRIsoN. 

